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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · perch · rest · wave · branch · bear · snap · can

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — the animal
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com